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State of the Arts Blog
Marianne Combs

Roadside Art

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My colleague Dan Gunderson, who reports for MPR up in the Fargo-Moorhead area, sent me some photos a while back. Dan drives around the region alot for his stories, and on his drives he's seen some strange things. Things like a telephone booth in the middle of nowhere, with a mannequin in it.

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Photo taken by MPR's Dan Gunderson on a county road in the Sebeka area.

So what's the story behind this piece? Is it the expression of a rural dweller trying to connect with the world? Or is that Superman in there with the flowery dress and hat? And who's on the other end of the line?

Here's another one; this time it appears to be a Minotaur playing football.

[image]

Metal sculpture along highway 32, just south of Middle River. Photo by MPR's Dan Gunderson.

While I went straight to Greek mythology when I saw this one, Dan says he thinks the artist is more likely a Vikings fan. What do you think?

Finally, a less mysterious but just as visually grabbing work:

[image]

MPR's Dan Gunderson says he shot this picture on the south edge of Foley at the intersection of two well traveled highways. It's located on the grounds of what appears to be a storage area for construction equipment.

My immediate question was "do those fan-blade-like parts move? And when they do, do they make noise?" And what's a passer-by supposed to make of this piece? Is that a nice smile, or a menacing one?

If you know anything about these county road creations, let me know. And your interpretations of the works are also welcome. Got your own piece of roadside art you'd like to share? Send us a pic and we'll put it up.